


Happiness

by thegillovnyway



Category: The X-Files RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 02:32:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14843942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegillovnyway/pseuds/thegillovnyway
Summary: David and his ex-wife have a little chat.





	Happiness

David hasn’t felt this happy, this free, in a while. His laughs come easily; everything comes easily, here. He watches his children be siblings, listens to their voices, their own laughter. That will forever be his favorite music, no matter what.

“Are you happy?” Téa’s hoarse voice rips him out of his thoughts. He turns to her, the shadow of his smile still playing about his lips.

“How could I not be? You, the kids.”

“I know you are happy now.” Her chair scratches over the floor as she comes closer. Her hand finds his on the table. “I mean are you happy? With everything?” With his life, with Monique. They don’t say her name. The kids call her his ‘girlfriend’. There’s always an eye roll or a snort accompanying the word. How can he blame them for that, really?

“Sure.” David takes a sip from his fruity drink. West and Miller made it. It’s awfully sweet, hurts his teeth, but he’s going to drink every drop of it.

“When was the last time you talked to her?”

“Monique? I-”

“No. No, not her.” Téa seems repulsed by the thought. You left me first, he thinks, swallows the thought with another sip from his drink. “You know who.” Ah. The other woman. She’s not going to say that name either. David’s smile fades, loses its brightness. He, too, tries not to say her name, or think it.

“Couple of weeks ago, maybe? Don’t remember. We texted two weeks ago or so.” Or so. The last time he spoke to her was January. Her last text was over two weeks ago when she told him she wouldn’t make it to Montreal. Radio silence since then. But in the end it doesn’t matter.

“Oh David.” He knows that voice. How could he not? He’s lived with it, with everything of her, for almost two decades. She knows him well; too well. He knows her, too. Their eyes lock over the table. “She texted me earlier, asked me to tell West happy birthday.”

“That’s nice.”

“Fucking stop it, David. Believe it or not, I love you.” His eyes blink lazily at her. “You gave me the two most beautiful gifts anyone could ever ask for. I am happy with Tim and-”

“Are you, though?”

“What?”

“Are you happy with him?”

“I am. You don’t want to hear this, David.”

“I do.” He doesn’t. Don’t tell me. Don’t say it. Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.

“He’s my second chance at love. I am thankful for everything we had. It was, at the time, all I – both of us – needed. Tim is… he means so much to me, David. It’s different. It’s what I saw in you when…” She trails off.

“So you really hate each other?” He chuckles without humor.

“You and Gillian never hated each other.” There’s her name. David downs the rest of his drink without taking his eyes off of his ex-wife. “I saw how happy you were together.” His eyes soften. Don’t think about her, he tells himself. He promised himself not to think about her, or their time together. As always, he fails. He licks his bottom lip; bad move. She used to that. Gillian. There’s the taste of her on his lips, a phantom memory.

“David, I love you, and I want you to be happy.”

“I am.” A little too quickly, a little too defensive and she sees right through him.

“I won’t tell you how to live your life, it’s not my place. But think about it. I know you’re with… you don’t want to get hurt again, but in the end someone is going to be hurt. The two of you have always been so stubborn. It could be so easy. So easy, David!”

“It’s never been easy with her.” And it’s nice. He doesn’t miss Monique like he once missed Téa, like he always misses Gillian. Why doesn’t he deserve easy?

“You love her. You always have. It’s time that you let yourself be happy.”

“I am! And so is she, by the way.”

“If you say so. But call her.” David stares at her. “Just do it, David. Give yourself a chance.”

“I screwed it up.” Time and again. He’ll screw up again. He always does. Téa squeezes his hand. Her face is close. They used to do this all the time, before. Their faces close, voices whispering. Sharing kisses and secrets. He wonders if she does this with Tim. Or do they have their own little things they do no one else does? David thinks of Gillian. So many things, tiny and insignificant. But theirs.

“Call her. Just do that. Please, David.” He nods his head, but Téa doesn’t move away. “Now.”

“Now?” Tea nods. “But-”

“Just call her, David. It’s late in London. Don’t wait too long.” Another squeeze to his hand before she gets up and joins their children. David feels his phone in his pocket, takes it out, stares at it. He presses the necessary buttons, waits. His children are loud in the background, just happy. The phone clicks, picks up.

“Hello?” There’s his smile again, without even trying.

“Hey you,” he says and thinks he can hear Gillian let out a breath she must have been holding in since forever, “I thought I’d call you.”


End file.
